PREP SCHOOL: EASY TECHNIQUES TO USE TONIGHT

Whip potatoes into shape

Secrets on avoiding a gluey, stiff or lumpy flavorless mess

March 29, 2006|By James P. DeWan, Special to the Tribune. DeWan is an instructor at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago.

Though mashing and whipping are different techniques, when applied to potatoes, the terms are pretty much interchangeable.

Nomenclature aside, potatoes as a rule are bland. They scream, in their lackluster way, for butter, cream and salt. Should this heroic trio give your diet pause, then tonight, and tomorrow night if it makes you feel better, skip dessert.

Why you need to learn this

Just because whipped potatoes are easy to do doesn't mean they're easy to do well. Too often, it's the gravy that gets the accolades. And why not, if the potatoes are lumpy or stiff, gluey, cold or simply flavorless? Whipped potatoes, as all things, ought to be delicious.

Steps for cooking

What makes whipped potatoes creamy is moisture. Given that water has no flavor, however, we want as little moisture in the form of water as possible. Thus, we recommend russet potatoes, which have the lowest moisture content. White and yellow potatoes work well, too, but avoid red, purple or other high-moisture potatoes.

Start by boiling or baking.

If baking, prick holes in unpeeled potatoes to prevent them from exploding. Bake in a 425-degree oven until done, when a toothpick or dull knife penetrates easily.

For boiling, potatoes can be left whole or peeled and cut into large chunks. Peeled and cut potatoes cook more quickly, but stripped of their protective skin and with an increased surface area, they're more prone to waterlogging.

Start potatoes in cold water to encourage even cooking. Turn the flame to high and when the water boils, reduce the heat and simmer until done.

Drain potatoes immediately and return them to the pan over low heat for several minutes to evaporate more moisture. Shake the pan to keep the potatoes from sticking. Alternately, spread the potatoes on a sheet tray and place in a hot oven 3 to 4 minutes.

Steps for whipping

As always, we control the process. Here, we're adding butter and cream until the potatoes reach the desired consistency. Don't worry about amounts; instead, follow the progress as you add more and more.

1. Pass the hot potatoes through a ricer or food mill (photo 1). This "potato puree" is the basis for many wonderful preparations. If you prefer a lumpier (I mean, more "rustic") final result, use a potato masher instead.

2. Add room temperature (not melted) butter (photo 2) and hot liquid: cream or milk, even stock. Just remember, the richness of your ingredients is passed to your final product. Figure about 1/4 cup each butter and liquid for every pound of potatoes. To be safe, start with half that amount, and be prepared to add more. Then add any other flavoring or seasoning ingredients (see below).

3. Mix until smooth with a spatula. If you're using a stand mixer, use a paddle attachment if you have one and avoid overmixing, as that breaks down the starch, making your potatoes gummy.

Steps to flavoring

1. Be sure to add enough salt: about a teaspoon of kosher salt or 2/3 teaspoon table salt per pound. Most people skimp on salt out of health concerns. Seriously, though, the fury you'll feel over underseasoned potatoes will raise your blood pressure far more than the salt you're trying to avoid.

2. Black pepper, while delicious, creates suspicious black specks in your otherwise pristine product. You may want to use white pepper, or just skip it altogether.

3. Potatoes take very well to other flavors: roasted garlic, avocado, minced rosemary, horseradish, chipotle chilies, wasabi--the list is endless. The amount is your call. One caveat: Make sure any added vegetable is cooked properly. You don't want your silky mash marred by the harsh crunch of a piece of, say, raw onion.

Note: Keep potatoes warm in a bain-marie. This is a bowl resting on a saucepan with a few inches of simmering water. The steam heats the bowl gently, warming its contents. Cover the bowl with plastic.

Creamy, creamy mashed potatoes

Preparation time: 12 minutes

Cooking time: 23 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks

3/4 cup whipping cream, half-and-half or chicken broth

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

2 teaspoons coarse salt, see note

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold, unsalted water; heat to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes; return to the dry saucepan. Heat over very low heat to dry the potatoes, shaking the pan to keep them from sticking, about 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat almost to a boil.

3. Press hot potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a large bowl; add the butter, kosher salt and half of the cream to potato puree. Combine with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add extra cream, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. (Remember, potatoes will stiffen up as they cool.)

Note: Coarse salt, with its larger flake, occupies more volume than table salt. Thus, if you're using table salt, reduce the amount by a third--in the case of this recipe, use 1 1/3 teaspoons of table salt.